Presenters will guide participants through the newly published toolkit titled "Understanding the Standards" including tips for unpacking the CS standards, working to align topics within the standards within a course as well as with other disciplines, and vertically aligning computer science instruction across multiple grade levels. Specific case examples from Kindergarten through secondary grades will be presented, and participants will have time to ask questions related to their own practices.
Cybersecurity has been a hot topic in the business world for years, and during this time a range of choices has become available for teaching the concepts to high school students interested in careers in information technology as well as students heading into other career paths. This session will present some options available, outline the differences among the three state course codes, and discuss best practices for working through the technical challenges associated with teaching cybersecurity within a secure environment alongside your school's information technology team.
Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT Maple 205
Join us to learn how educators can share the new Career Cluster Framework with families and students. Resources will be shared to help communicate what CTE is in Kansas and how CTE can provide all Kansas students academic, technical and employability skills to benefit them in high school and postsecondary.
Twenty years ago Carnegie Mellon professor Jeannette Wing argued that computational thinking is a fundamental skill for all students in all disciplines. Grades K-5 are ideal for incorporating the four pillars of computational thinking (decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithms) into courses to teach critical thinking, creativity, and logical reasoning, and to foster creativity and build resilience. This session will define the four pillars and give practical examples of integration into some typical lesson plans.
